Fight the Good Fight of Faith, English Edition

Introduction • 

Lesson 6 , The Edification We Seek: Building up One Another in the Body of Christ explores the idea of the Christian life as being designed to live in community, growing together as God’s family, being the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are called to live the life of Christ together with others, discovering his truth, worshiping God and growing as disciples of Christ as we relate to other believers in the local church and in small groups. In doing this we are built up (edified) in our faith, and come to learn how to submit to each other out of reverence (respect) for Christ. Lesson 7 , The Enemy We Fight: Walking in Victory Against the Enemy of God , describes the nature of the grand Story we have joined. The universe is at spiritual war – the devil and the kingdom of darkness are battling against the Lord Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of light. Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus won the victory over our enemy, the devil, who still con tinues to work through deception in this fallen world system and our old sinful nature, i.e., “the desires of the flesh.” We overcome him as we walk by faith in Christ, and stay watchful for the devil’s attempt to deceive us through lies and deception. Lesson 8 is entitled The Equipment We Use: Putting on the Whole Armor of God . It explains how God has provided every believer with the necessary armor to resist the enemy and stand their ground when under attack. The truth of Scripture (i.e., the Word of God) can enable us to identify, stand against, and replace the lies that the enemy hurls against us, and the Holy Spirit strengthens us for the fight as we practice the spiritual disciplines, alone and together with other believers. Lesson 9 is our final lesson, called The Endurance We Display: The Perseverance of the Saints . In this lesson we see how the central principle of growing up into Christ is learning to persevere, to stay alert, and not get caught off guard. As representatives of Christ, we must press on and continue forward for the prize, no matter how hard it may become. The Holy Spirit will give us power to stand true to our calling, and as we faithfully represent Christ, he will use us to strengthen other believers in their fight. Blueprint for Each Lesson: Its Parts and Elements Each lesson is divided into the same particular parts, with each element focusing on something necessary for you to attend as you go through it. (This is especially important to note if you wind up going through this book with others, as a leader or small group facilitator). Objectives. These goals, three for each lesson, will help you understand exactly what you are to know and believe once you finish the lesson, whether you are studying alone or with others.